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New and strengthened rules aim to make street drinking a thing of the past in Shibuya's nightlife center — but the reality may not be that simple.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Oct 21, 2024

Can you drink in Shibuya and Shinjuku this Halloween? It depends.

Shibuya and Shinjuku are both planning on cracking down on street drinking this Halloween and beyond. But the problem might be bigger than a night of drunken revelry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting in Moscow on Sept. 25 where he called for changes to rules on the use of Russia's nuclear deterrent.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 18, 2024

Putin's nuclear doctrine isn't his worst threat

These kinds of signals should be seen as weapons in and of themselves, which makes it vital to distinguish between what’s real and feigned.
Kento Yamasaki celebrates on the podium after winning the men's keirin final at the  UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark, on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS
Oct 18, 2024

Kento Yamasaki races to Japan's second-ever world title in men's keirin

It was one of two golds for Japan on the second night of the world track championships
Founded in 1879, Tokio Marine was Japan's first nonlife insurance company and it has since expanded into life insurance and now has a presence in 46 countries besides Japan.
BUSINESS
Oct 18, 2024

Tokio Marine pauses sale of Southeast Asia life insurance business, sources say

The delay appears to be due to the firm's dispute with a Malaysian partner.
Wind power turbines in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Oct 18, 2024

Japan studying measures for more renewable energy areas

Such measures will be included in a revision of the government's plan for tackling global warming.
Police officers and fire department officials investigate a vehicle that crashed into a barricade outside the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo on Saturday morning after a man threw Molotov cocktail-like objects outside the ruling party's headquarters. The vehicle's number plate has been digitally obscured.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 19, 2024

Man arrested after throwing apparent firebombs at LDP headquarters

The suspect, identified as a 49-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture, was arrested on the spot and no injuries were reported from the incident.
The Tokyo Electron logo is displayed at the Semicon Japan exhibition in Tokyo last December.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 19, 2024

Japan pressed by U.S. lawmakers to strengthen chip curbs on China

China remains a crucial and lucrative market for all chip toolmakers, and officials in Tokyo and the Hague are cautious about imposing more restrictions.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (from left), U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron pose for a family photo at the Chancellery in Berlin on Friday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 19, 2024

Biden and allies in Berlin vow no let-up in support for Ukraine

In a joint statement, the leaders "reiterated their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace."
A South Korean drone recovered by North Korean authorities is seen in this image released Saturday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 19, 2024

Pyongyang says recovered remains of South Korean drone

The North released Images of the South Korean military drone that crashed in the capital, with some analysts confirming it was South Korean.
Interest on the federal debt exceeded $1 trillion for the first time in fiscal 2024 while spending grew for the Social Security retirement program, health care and the military, the Treasury Department said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 19, 2024

U.S. budget deficit tops $1.8 trillion in fiscal 2024, third-largest on record

The deficit for the year ended Sept. 30 was up 8%, or $138 billion, from the $1.695 trillion recorded in fiscal 2023.
Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for BC Gurdwara council, speaks at a news conference at the site of a 2023 murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, in May.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 19, 2024

Warned by police, some of Canada's Sikhs feel threatened by India

The Canadian police said this week it has communicated more than a dozen threats to people who are advocating for Sikh separatism.
A Tokyo Electric Power Co. employee opens a watertight door inside the Unit 7 reactor building at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power station in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, on Aug. 6.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 19, 2024

Japan shifting back to nuclear to ditch coal and power AI

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, the world's biggest nuclear plant, could help Japan cut carbon emissions while also powering artificial intelligence.
A street in Zakir Nagar, a Muslim neighborhood in New Delhi, last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 19, 2024

In Modi's Delhi, Indian Muslims segregate to seek security

There is no official data on segregation in India, but it appears to be increasing among Muslims in recent years due to rising Islamophobia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a BRICS business forum in Moscow on Friday.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 20, 2024

The rise of BRICS and the emerging multipolar world

The diversity among BRICS members presents challenges in forming a unified agenda, especially given differing political systems and goals.
A battery charge technology display at the Engie pavilion at the Paris Motor Show on Tuesday. Japan's EV market share remains significantly lower than in other countries, with only 2.2% of cars sold being battery EVs, compared to 18% in France and 25% in China.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 18, 2024

Japan hopes electric cars are just a bad dream

Automakers face many setbacks in electrification, but Japan uniquely argues that the shift is not only logistically challenging but fundamentally misconceived.
Police officers remove a vehicle that crashed into a barricade outside the Prime Minister's Office in central Tokyo on Saturday after a man threw Molotov cocktail-like objects outside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters and later drove into the barricade.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 20, 2024

More details emerge about suspect in attack at LDP headquarters

The suspect was sent to prosecutors on Sunday, although his motives for the attack remain unclear.
Gantry cranes at the Yantian International Container Terminals in Shenzhen, China, on April 15
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 21, 2024

World economy fault lines shift from prices to politics and debt

The U.S. presidential election, soaring government debt and the escalating conflict in the Middle East all hang over the global economic outlook.
An electric stock board at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, operated by Japan Exchange Group, in Tokyo on April 19
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 21, 2024

Asian IPOs set for blockbuster week as ‘animal spirits’ return

Asian markets are seeing a return of "animal spirits," or changes in market behavior often driven by emotions.
A collage made of undated handout pictures released by the Yamagata University Institute of Nasca shows 10 of 303 new geoglyphs discovered by scientists at the university in Japan.
JAPAN / Science & Health / Longform
Oct 21, 2024

The Japanese researcher uncovering the mystery of Peru’s Nazca Lines

Masato Sakai has dedicated his career to the collection of desert etchings. AI is starting to make his work much easier.
Mark Karpeles, the former CEO of Mt. Gox, speaks at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan on Oct. 11.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 21, 2024

The unsinkable Mark Karpeles is willing to give Tokyo another shot

The former CEO of Mt. Gox, which once processed the majority of bitcoin transactions globally before it blew up in 2014, is looking to set up shop in Japan again.
Moldova'n President Maia Sandu attends a press conference at her campaign headquarters in Chisinau on Monday.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 21, 2024

Moldovan leader ahead with EU vote uncertain, partial results show

A referendum aiming to enshrine EU membership into Moldova's constitution had only 45% support, with about half of the electorate left to be tallied.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Fall meetings signage outside the IMF headquarters in Washington on Sunday
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 21, 2024

As poor nations' default wave peaks, a cash shortage could replace it

The issue, and what to do about it when Western countries are increasingly loath to send money overseas, is a key topic at the IMF World Bank autumn meetings this week.
The emotional impact of constant news about wars and disasters is weighing heavily on many in the younger generations, causing them to seek ways to cope with their distress and anxiety.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Is the apocalypse making you too anxious to work?

A poll reveals that a significant portion of the Gen Z and millennial generations feel unable to function at work due to distress over current events.
Having learned from the experience of losing in the last election and from actions taken by similar movements elsewhere, another Trump administration would be far more effective at wielding — and maintaining — power.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 21, 2024

Why another Trump term would be worse than the first

A political movement with autocratic tendencies often becomes more ruthless and effective after experiencing electoral defeat.
About 82% of all toilets in Japan have electric bidet toilet seats, with nearly all homes with flushing toilets having them installed.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 21, 2024

78% of electric bidet toilet accidents involve older models, report finds

Japan's product safety watchdog emphasizes the ubiquitous appliance's limited lifespan and advises users to regularly conduct safety checks to prevent mishaps.
Many truant children and their guardians apparently do not consult their schools or other organizations, making it difficult for appropriate support to reach them.
JAPAN / Society
Oct 21, 2024

Japan to test community-based support systems to aid truant children

Coordinators will provide counseling to children and guardians, refer them to related organizations and help children form social connections
Plaintiffs in a damages lawsuit over the 2014 eruption of Mount Ontake enter the Tokyo High Court in the capital's Kasumigaseki district on Monday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 21, 2024

Tokyo High Court rejects damages claim over Ontake eruption deaths

The presiding judge overturned a lower court's finding that Meteorological Agency officials violated their duty of care in the 2014 disaster.
Indian soldiers disembark from a military transport plane at a forward airbase in Leh, in the Ladakh region, on Sept. 15, 2020.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

China and India end border impasse ahead of likely Xi-Modi meet

Relations between China and India have been frozen since June 2020 following clashes between soldiers along the disputed Himalayan border.
Tiger Woods acknowledges the crowd at the 18th green during the 152nd Open Championship at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, on July 19.
MORE SPORTS / Golf
Oct 22, 2024

Woods expected to make TGL debut on Jan. 14

The 15-time major champion's first potential match will come in the second week of the season inside a venue that fits 1,500 fans.
An attendee walks past a picture of Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump holding a gun and the words "Merry MAGA you filthy animal!" at the Rod of Iron Freedom Festival, which the organizers call "the largest open carry rally in America," in Greeley, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 12.
WORLD / Politics
Oct 22, 2024

New cases of political violence roil U.S. before contentious election

There have been at least 300 cases of political violence since Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?